Perspective

Summary:
Edward told Bella he had talked with his father and brothers regarding their wedding night. This is my version of that missing moment from between Eclipse and Breaking Dawn and includes what Edward and Bella do to prepare for their first night together as husband and wife.

Notes:

16. Chapter 16

After Bella finished eating her breakfast, we decided to stay in and watch movies. Whenever Bella’s monthly blood came, she had a strict policy of avoiding my house. Even after I explained to her that it was not a problem for my family or me she was still adamant about it, stating that she wouldn’t be responsible for making things harder for them. The knowledge that we had each spent a significant amount of time in high schools over the years when at any given time a significant amount of girls were bleeding made no difference to her. Although her over sensitivity was unnecessary, it was also endearing.

She had changed into a pair of jeans and a long sleeve shirt and was now sitting beside me with her head resting against my shoulder. My arm wrapped around her, holding her close. It felt wonderful to have her by my side again.

Neither of us said much during the first movie. I traced small circle patterns on her arm and enjoyed the feel of her warmth.

We took a small break between movies for Bella to get what she called ‘movie watching’ food. Coming from the kitchen, she brought popcorn, chips, and a Hershey’s bar. I gave a small chuckle at her selections. Her eyes narrowed slightly as she sent me a glare. It only made me laugh more deeply.

As she settled back into position beside me, I started the second movie. Bella shifted so she could better access the items she’d brought from the kitchen. Her body was no longer in contact with mine. I moved to close the distance between us and brought my fingers up to run gently through her hair. She leaned back into my touch and closed her eyes.

This movie was not as interesting as the first. I was paying more attention to Bella. My love seemed to be having the same problem. I noticed her eyes kept drifting closed.

First I thought she might be tired but then I realized it was when I put slightly more pressure against her scalp that the reaction occurred. To test my theory, I very lightly moved my fingers through her hair only grazing her scalp beneath. Seconds after I lightened my touch, her eyes opened. Interesting.

To continue with my experimentation, I gradually increased the pressure. When I noticed her eyes closing, I continued at the same level for a minute before easing again. Her eyes reopened. I couldn’t help but smile.

Increasing the pressure once again, her eyes closed. After a few minutes, her head drifted back and a soft moan escaped her lips. I thought of the pleasure I felt when her hands were in my hair. Why had I not realized this before?

I continued at a steady pressure my love seemed to enjoy. Soon her breathing changed and she drifted to sleep. Reaching for the blanket on the back of the couch, I wrapped it around her. She shifted and her head came to rest on me. I tried to make sure she was comfortable. The movie continued to play in the background, but watching Bella sleep was much more appealing.

~

My love stayed asleep for just over an hour, enough time for the movie to end. When she woke, she leaned into me and smiled. Saying she needed a human minute, she left me on the couch to put in another movie.

When she returned, she carried a carton of chocolate bon bon’s, the latest in her line of junk food. She wrapped the blanket around her, laying the carton in her lap and resting her head on me as I pressed play once again.

The final scene faded on the screen and Bella put the last two bon bons into her mouth in quick succession causing her cheeks to puff out. I couldn’t help but chuckle. She looked so cute with her tiny mouth trying to wrap itself around the cold treat.

This of course made me laugh harder, although I tried to suppress it. “No, love.”

She raised her eyebrows giving me a skeptical look and set the empty carton on the coffee table before turning back to glare at me. Bella was not helping my laughter. The fierce look on her face was broken by the slight upward pull of her lips. “You don’t mess with a girl and her chocolate you know.”

I tried once again to curb my amusement and forced a neutral expression. “Bella, I am sorry, love,” I said as I reached out to brush a small piece of hair that had fallen from her ponytail.

We sat for a few moments, my hand resting on her shoulder. I watched her eyes travel to the clock just below the television and then back to her lap. I waited. She obviously wanted to ask me something.

Her teeth came out to worry her bottom lip before releasing it again. I had the urge to run my tongue long the small fading impressions her teeth had made to her skin but suppressed it. Instead I contented myself running my fingers lightly along the collar of her shirt.

In waiting for her to speak, I was a bit surprised when she let the blanket fall from her shoulders as she moved toward me. As her warm lips touched mine, I wrapped my hand around the back of her neck letting my fingers slip into the strands of her hair. Her hands came up to grip my own hair as her lips moved against mine. My other hand moved to her waist.

I let her lead, enjoying the feel of her softness and her heat against my cold, ridged body. Then she began to move, pulling herself up. I recognized what she was doing from before and tightened my grip on her, causing her to pause. Her lips broke away from mine by mere centimeters. Her eyes fluttered open and looked at me. When she opened her mouth to speak, I could feel the warmth of her breath on my lips as the fire in my throat burned just a bit hotter.

“Please,” she pleaded. I knew what she wanted and so much of me wanted to give it to her. But I didn’t know if I was ready yet. “Please,” she said again, “we can stop anytime you say, I promise.”

I couldn’t deny her. I didn’t want to deny her. In silent response, I loosened the grip on her hips and felt her move to straddle me. She kept her eyes locked to mine as she lowered herself onto my lap. I guided her down, positioning her so she was on my legs and not in contact with the part of me that was being to grow due to her proximity.

Her hands moved to frame the sides of my face and the heat from her palms seared pleasantly into my skin. My love’s eyes drifted closed and I leaned in to close the distance between us. Feeling her lips again on mine, her hands as they slid back to their place in my hair… Bella was surrounding me. There was no other place I wanted to be.

My hands moved up her back as hers tangled tighter in my hair. I needed her closer. I pulled her upper body toward me and sighed with pleasure as her chest touched mine. A weak moan escaped my love’s lips moments before she pressed even harder into me, causing our lower bodies to come into closer contact.

I heard the gasp from Bella and froze. We were suspended in our movements. This was the first time she had felt my physical need for her. What did she think? I had to know but yet I was afraid to find out.

After several minutes Bella’s eyes opened and looked at me. “Edward?”

I closed my eyes as I felt the vibration of her voice flow through me. The fire burned down my throat but all I wanted was her lips not to move from mine.

“Edward?” she said again. “Are you…okay?”

She was always concerned for me. Was she really as okay with this as she seemed to be? “Yes,” I said, letting my cool breath flow over her face.

Bella’s heart picked up its pace briefly and then began to find a steady rhythm once more. “Why did you stop?” she whispered.

I stared into her eyes trying to ask the question without having to voice it. Her eyes were full of their own questions though. I sighed and leaned back against the couch bringing my hands back down to her waist. “We have never been in this position before, love,” I said, pausing trying to gauge her reaction before I continued. But Bella just waited patiently. With a sigh I brought my hand up to brush lightly along her cheek. “I was unsure of your reaction.”

Bella looked genuinely perplexed. “My reaction to what?”

She was really going to make me say it. With a sigh a lifted my hand so I was no longer touching her face. I forced myself to look into her eyes while I spoke the words, “My reaction to being so…close to you.”

Her eyes looked blankly at me for a moment and then awareness dawned but her expression wasn’t what I had been expecting. But Bella never did what was expected. Instead of revulsion or even embarrassment, her eyes lit up with what looked to be… delight? The sides of her mouth curled up into a smile.

“Edward, did you think I’d be…upset?”

It was still amazing to me how this girl…this woman…was able to make me feel like a teenage boy again. I knew she was watching me and I closed my eyes trying to hide my expression but I wasn’t fast enough. My love leaned her forehead against mine and whispered softly, “I love you,” she took a deep breath, “the fact that you find me physically attractive is amazing, yes.” My eyes opened at this and stared straight into hers. “But knowing that I affect you the way you affect me…” she sighed. “I just can’t explain how happy that makes me, Edward.”

There were no words for what I was feeling at the moment. My arms encircled her and pulled her to me. Burring my face in her hair, I breathed in her scent cherishing the flames. “I love you, Bella.” I felt her grip tighten around my neck.

We stayed locked in each other’s arms until I could hear Charlie as he made his way toward home. Separating, I turned on the television while Bella took their dinner out of the refrigerator to heat up. When her father walked in the door a few minutes later, he saw me sitting there and gave me a short hello before walking into the kitchen to find his daughter.

I remained in the living room, as always, while they ate, occupying myself in watching a concert I found on one of the stations. Just as the program was finishing, a notice flashed across the screen announcing the symphony would be playing this weekend in Seattle. Immediately I knew I wanted to take Bella.

Once the idea formed in my head, my mind began formulating a plan. We could go to the city early and make an evening of it. I could take her to a fancy dinner, something she had not permitted me to do since just after prom. My mind was full of possibilities. The concert would end late, of course, and although driving home would be no problem for me the thought of spending the night alone in a hotel with Bella was vastly appealing.

“Edward that is a wonderful idea!” her high-pitched voice squealed with excitement.

“Thank you, Alice.”

Before I could get anything else out, however, my sister continued. “But you have to get Charlie to agree to the whole weekend, not just Friday.”

“Alice…”

“Don’t start, Edward. There is shopping to be done. You can have her Friday night and then…let’s say after seven on Saturday. We’ll even drive separate so you two can come back together on Sunday.”

This was not what I’d planned at all. I just wanted a nice quiet evening with my fiancée. Bringing my hand up to my face, I pinched the bridge of my nose in frustration. “Alice, Bella isn’t going to be happy. You know how she hates shopping. I don’t even know if I can convince her to come with me for one night.”

“I have complete confidence in you, Edward. Besides, Bella is going to be a Cullen soon, she’s going to have to start learning how to act like it.” I started to speak but she stopped me, “You’ll think of something, don’t worry,” she paused. “Oh and have fun tonight,” she snickered and then hung up.

Charlie entered the living room and took a seat in his chair, reaching for the remote. He barely spared me a look. In his mind he was resigned to my presence. I would need to get his approval. I didn’t want to upset Charlie anymore than I must. It was bad enough I would be taking his daughter away from him forever in a few short weeks.

I cleared my throat to get his attention. He shot me a glance before sighing and setting the remote down on his knee. What does he want now? Isn’t it enough he’s marring my little girl?

I tried not to cringe at his thoughts and continued on in my mission. “There’s a concert in Seattle this Friday and I wanted to take Bella.”

This got Charlie’s attention. “What concert?” he said curtly.

“The Seattle philharmonic,” I paused to let him take this in.

“You want to take Bella to hear classical music?”

“Yes. However they will not only be playing classical. They will be presenting some modern compositions as well which I believe Bella will enjoy.”

His mind was clearly skeptical, “You do, do you?”

I ignored his doubts. “Yes. I was thinking we could go into the city early and have dinner before the concert.”

He sighed and began to turn back to his game. “I do believe I can manage my own dinner for one evening.”

I couldn’t help but grin at his thoughts. His mind was beginning to refocus on the game but his thoughts were baffling over what kind of eighteen year old took his girlfriend to hear classical music. Charlie had yet to call Bella my fiancée out loud and rarely did so even in his mind.

It was time. “The concert will run late. I was thinking we would stay in the city. My sister was also hoping to join us on Saturday and get in a little shopping. That could possibly run late as well, this being Alice, so I thought we could stay Saturday night as well and return on Sunday afternoon.”

It took a few moments for my words to register. When they did, Charlie stiffened and very unpleasant thoughts towards me ran through his mind. He narrowed his eyes in my direction. “What do your parents say about this?” He knew his position was weak but he was trying to find any leverage he could. We were getting married in just over two weeks.

I answered him honestly. I tried not to lie to Charlie more than I must. “I haven’t discussed it with them yet, although I don’t foresee them having a problem.” And this was my hook. “They would want us to be safe. And making a two hour drive late at night would not be the best choice.”

I had him there and he knew it. He didn’t like it. His mind started imagining Bella and I in a hotel room. Alone. His thoughts were beginning to make me uncomfortable. Finally he picked up the remote pointing it toward the television and fixed me with a dark glare. “You’d better take care of her.”

“I will,” I vowed. And I meant it. Not only for the trip to Seattle but for as long as Bella and I were together. Forever.